ADT Security vs. Vivint Smart Home

Vivint and ADT are major competitors in the home security space, and they're extremely similar in terms of smart home integrations, equipment selection, and monitoring quality. The major differences between Vivint vs. ADT boil down to how you pay for the equipment: 

• Vivint offers a month-to-month contract option to people who pay upfront for their equipment and a 3.5–5-year contract for people looking to finance the equipment.
• ADT requires a 3-year contract with no upfront equipment fees. 

In our Vivint vs. ADT review, we'll point out the other differences between these two companies to help you decide which one's right for you. 

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Monthly monitoring price: Vivint's month fees start at around $32 per month for basic security sensors and increase by $5/mo. for every camera added to the system. ADT's monitoring fees range from about $46 to $65 per month based on whether you add smart home devices and video recording. (ADT also has a $28.99 plan that's only for landline systems.)

Equipment fee: Vivint allows you to buy its equipment for a one-time fee or bundle it into your monthly fees. With ADT, the cost of the equipment is always bundled into the monthly cost of the system, which could save you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in upfront costs. 

Contract: Vivint offers a month-to-month service contract to customers who pay for all of their equipment upfront. If you need to finance the equipment, Vivint requires a 3.5- to 5-year service contract. ADT's contracts typically last 3 years.

When choosing a home security provider, consider contract terms, cancellation policies, and whether you’ll own the equipment. The FTC has great information on how to protect yourself from poor cancellation policies. 

Cancellation policies: Vivint requires 100% of the remaining balance to be paid before the contract can be cancelled. With ADT, only 75% of the remaining balance is owed.

Money-back guarantee: ADT has the most generous money-back guarantee in the industry at a whopping 6 months. Vivint gives you just 3 days to trial the system. 

Theft protection guarantee: If your ADT system is armed and someone still breaks into your house, ADT will pay up to $500 toward your insurance deductible. Vivint doesn't offer this. 

Equipment selection: Both brands sell home security essentials with a couple unique offerings, such as Vivint's wearable panic button and a DVR that stores up to 10 days of continuous video storage. Of the two brands, only ADT sells a heat sensor, whole-home siren, and smart light bulbs. Learn more in our Vivint equipment and ADT equipment guides.

Warranty: ADT doesn't offer a warranty, but Vivint isn't much better because its limited warranty only lasts 120 days (4 months). Both companies offer paid protection plans instead. 

Professional installation: Both brands require professional installation and charge a fee for that service. Expect a $49 flat fee for Vivint installation. ADT installation costs start at $99 for security equipment and cameras then go up to $199 when you get the largest package.

Custom equipment packages: Both companies can send someone to your home to evaluate the layout and prepare a custom list of equipment. 

Professional monitoring: When something triggers the alarm, a monitoring professional will contact police or emergency services for you. Vivint and ADT both offer monitoring for smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and video. ADT stands out with six redundant monitoring centers and its longstanding experience.

Monitoring centers: ADT and Vivint operate their own monitoring centers rather than outsourcing this service to a third-party. Both brands have earned The Monitoring Association's prestigious Five Diamond certification, which signifies excellent monitoring services. ADT owns six centers throughout the US, while Vivint currently has two. 

Smart home capabilities: ADT sells Google Nest products directly, but guess what—Vivint systems also work with Google Nest products. Both brands also work with Amazon Alexa for voice control and smart home integration. 

Mobile apps: ADT and Vivint include mobile app access with all of their monitoring packages. ADT's apps have higher ratings than the Vivint app, which gets better reviews from iPhone users than Android users.

Guest access: If you want to grant someone the ability to arm and disarm the system without letting them change settings or access private information, you can give them guest access on either brand's mobile app. 

Cellular backup: Both systems connect to Wi-Fi as their main source of communication, but they fall back on cellular signals if there's ever a Wi-Fi outage. 

As long as you're okay with paying for your security equipment upfront, Vivint is the better option for lower monthly fees. If you want to stick to the essentials like a doorbell camera, entry sensors, and motion detectors, you could save about $15 a month with Vivint vs. ADT. Vivint installation also costs $50–$150 less. 

Plus, you can get all the perks of a professionally installed and monitoring home security system with a monthly contract by paying for Vivint's equipment upfront. According to our 2024 survey, 61% of consumers with long-term home security contracts regretted their decision due to high costs or inflexible terms, but most people are happy with their month-to-month contracts.

There's one bragging right that always sets ADT apart: a 150-year track record. If reputation puts you at ease more than anything, go with ADT. You'll also get slightly better cancellation terms and more generous guarantees. 

ADT is also the better option if you want to have a lot of cameras. Vivint's monthly monitoring fee increases with every camera, so it may be cheaper to go with ADT if you want to keep an eye on every corner of your property.

These days, Vivint and ADT are more alike than similar. The best one for you depends on just a few factors. 

• Choose Vivint if you'd rather pay for equipment upfront in exchange for a month-to-month contract.
• Choose ADT if you're not afraid of committing to a 3-year contract and tend to like brands with years of experience, customer-friendly policies, and excellent reputations.

Still undecided? Read our full Vivint and ADT reviews to learn more.